True Wireless
Huawei FreeBuds Neo
85Outstanding
$110
Full review dataHuawei FreeBuds Neo vs Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Huawei FreeBuds Neo comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 85. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Huawei FreeBuds Neo - Outstanding overall at around $109.
True Wireless
Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro
78Great
$61
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Huawei FreeBuds Neo leads on 5 of 7 measures.
- Huawei FreeBuds Neo
- Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro
HearWiki score
85
78
Sound
8.0
8.0
Noise cancelling
8.0
7.6
Battery
8.0
7.0
Calls
8.0
5.9
Value
9.0
8.1
Price (USD)
$110
$61
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Same generation
The Huawei FreeBuds Neo is 3 years newer, but it is the same generation of hardware: nothing in the radio, the codecs or the noise cancelling separates them. The platform is level; the newer hardware shows up in convenience features instead - the Huawei FreeBuds Neo adds Water resistance (IP55). For 3 years between them, that is a thin return - treat this as a restyle rather than a new platform.
- FreeBuds Neo20263 yr newer
- Redmi Buds 5 Pro2023
What differsFreeBuds NeoRedmi Buds 5 Pro
- Water resistance
- IP55
- Not rated
Everyday features
Level on: Top codec, ANC type, Transparency mode.
Specifications
FreeBuds NeoRedmi Buds 5 Pro
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $110
- $61
- HearWiki score
- 85
- 78
- Released
- 2026
- 2023
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- dynamic
- 2-driver hybrid
- Driver type
- dynamic
- hybrid
- Driver size
- -
- 11 mm
- Drivers per side
- -
- 2
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 48 kHz
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 16 Ω
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.3
- Codecs
- LDAC
- SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- Yes
- Latency
- -
- 49 ms
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 10 h
- 10 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 6.5 h
- 6 h
- Battery incl. case
- 40 h
- 38 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 60 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 5 min → 2 h
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- adaptive
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- -
- Yes
- Controls
- touch
- -
- Weight
- 4.8 g
- 10.2 g
- Case weight
- -
- 32.6 g
- Water resistance
- IP55
- none
- USB-C
- -
- Yes
- Microphones
- 4
- 3
What reviewers said
Huawei FreeBuds Neo
The Huawei FreeBuds Neo are lightweight, comfortable true wireless earbuds with adaptive active noise cancellation and a robust feature set for their price. They offer solid call quality, a lively sound signature, and practical extras like transparency mode and app support, making them a versatile mid-range option for travel and daily use.
- Pro:Comfortable and lightweight fit
- Pro:Effective adaptive ANC
- Pro:Good call quality with 4 mics
- Con:Battery life with ANC is modest
- Con:May not satisfy audiophiles seeking specialized tuning
- Con:Touch controls may require adjustment
Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro
The Xiaomi Redmi Buds 5 Pro are truly wireless earbuds that pair adaptive noise cancellation with a dual-driver hybrid setup for detailed sound. They offer a long-lasting battery, support for high-resolution LDAC audio, and reliable Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity with multipoint. While they lack any official water resistance, their feature set is impressive for the price.
- Pro:Effective adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Support for LDAC high-resolution audio
- Pro:Long battery life with charging case
- Con:No water resistance rating
- Con:Battery life drops significantly with ANC on
- Con:Limited to 10 meters wireless range
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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